


Too hot to handle

by colourlessdreams



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fainting, Fluff, Idiots, M/M, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, based on real events :), looking back zuko isn't awkward but whatevs, no angst ma'am, not even in love bruv just idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colourlessdreams/pseuds/colourlessdreams
Summary: in which Sokka faints in the Jasmine dragon after wanting to pick up a giftcard for his sister and a cute boy helps him.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 291





	Too hot to handle

**Author's Note:**

> this happened to me yesterday it was not so cool sjnfsier but an adult helped me not a cute boy 

Sokka _hated_ warm days. It did nothing good for his low blood pressure because of the constant dehydration.

Maybe it was his own fault that he was feeling faint, because maybe waking up at 12 P.M. and only eating one piece of toast as lunch was a bad idea. But that did not change the fact that the universe hated him.

So now he was standing in front of a red light on his bike, praying to god that it would be green soon or he would faint on the spot. When it did finally turn green, he biked as fast as he could to Katara's favourite coffee shop (which served more tea than coffee, so shouldn't it be called a tea shop?) and parked it as fast as he could. He had called earlier, to ask if they had any type of coupon or gift card, which they did, so he had already rehearsed what he wanted to say. But the moment he stood in front of the counter, his head felt a little bit lighter and the room was spinning a little bit. It felt like he could fly away any moment, but like the ground was swallowing him. 

Someone finally came towards him from behind the counter, but it was definitely not the girl he had heard on the phone earlier that afternoon. It was a _really_ cute boy, with a slight smile and perfect eyes. "Hello, Zuko here. How can I help?" He asked, and Sokka didn't know if his head got a little lighter because of his voice or because of his own blood pressure. 

"I need a gift card, also, can I sit down?" Zuko nodded with a smile and Sokka tumbled backwards towards the nearest chair, putting his wallet on the table behind him, where he only now noticed a girl with braided hair. She smiled a little worriedly at him but then continued with what ever she was doing on her laptop. When Zuko returned back to the counter he had a pen and card in his hand.

"How much do you want to put on the gift card?" Zuko asked and bent down to write it down when Sokka answered 'eight dollars'.

Sokka saw stars, and shit, that only happened when he was _really_ close to fainting. His head was empty, but he heard himself say the words, 'I'm going to faint, I think.' and saw Zuko look up with wide eyes after. 

Zuko quickly moved from behind the counter to in front of him. "Let's get you to that couch over there." He said, before helping Sokka stand up and guiding him to the couch.

If Sokka wasn't close to unconsciousness he would've blushed at the fact that Zuko's arm was around his shoulder, but the colour on his face was currently absent and he was sure that the room was violently spinning at this point.

Zuko guided him to the couch and down slowly, so they were sitting side by side, thighs to shoulders pressed against each other. Sokka wanted to lean his head on Zuko's shoulder, but even in the state he was currently in he knew that was inappropriate. Another employee (a smaller girl with the same black hair as Zuko, Sokka noted) came over with a glass of water and a somewhat sympathetic smile. "Here, drink this up." Zuko handed him the glass and Sokka took a few sips.

He felt a little better, not like the room was instantly clear and his head didn't feel light anymore. It helped.

"It's really hot out, did you even eat or drink?" Sokka tried to think, he really did, but his head was empty and it was hard to focus on anything. The 'yeah' he let out was pathetically quiet. "Well, let me get you some banana bread and ice, or whatever. How do you handle this situation?" The last part was really quiet, probably him talking to himself, but it made Sokka smile a little. "One sec." Zuko was gone from his side. So, he sat there, sipping at his glass of water and staring at the table in front of him, until he saw a pair of legs in front of him. 

The girl with the braided hair was standing there, with his wallet and keys. "Here, you left these. Hope you're feeling better soon." She said and turned around elegantly (Sokka didn't even know someone was able to do that until she did). 

Zuko came back with the banana bread and ice. "Uncle said the ice wouldn't help, but you look so hot that I think it might." After realizing what he just said, he looked a little panicked. "I meant you look like you're warm, you know-" Sokka interrupted him while taking the banana bread and ice.

"Yes I know." He chuckled and put the ice on his forehead while taking a bite of the banana bread. "Sorry for being such a burden, I'll pay for the banana bread."

Zuko sat down next to him again. "You don't have to, I just gave you the end we normally eat ourselves because we cut it off. This is a family business so it happens everyday, and after a while you get tired of it, so I'm honestly glad you got it today." He explained, and Sokka nodded while taking another bite. 

He was feeling a lot better, until he remembered it was Katara's birthday party today, so he had to go. "I should really go, it's my sister's birthday and I can't be late-"

"Are you sure you're ready to go?" Zuko interrupted, and Sokka only wanted to say yes because those pretty ember eyes were looking at him, but he didn't.

"Yeah, so I'll pay for the gift card and I'll go then, alright?" He asked and Zuko nodded.

Sokka paid, and said goodbye.

* * *

Right after the coffee shop horror, Sokka went to buy flowers for his sister to attach the gift card to. He thought of getting Zuko a single carnation, but he decided against it. Maybe Zuko had a relationship, or wasn't even in to guys.

Even later in the day, Katara's party was in full blast, and she was being chased by Aang while Suki was making Sokka a mermaid by him being put in sand. They might be exes, but they ended it on good terms. Sokka was laying back while Suki was building the mermaid tail, and thought of earlier that day. It felt like the whole world knew, even though he had only told Katara.

Even when he was in bed that night, he was thinking of Zuko.

* * *

The next morning he was being woken up by his sister. Shaking him and yelling about a gift card. Sokka tried to seem annoyed that he was being woken so early in the morning to have a 'lovely birthday breakfast', but he really wasn't. Because the breakfast was at the Jasmine Dragon, the same Jasmine Dragon where he almost fainted.

So when they got on their bikes (only after three glasses of water and two pieces of toast for Sokka) Katara kept ranting about how one of her boyfriend's study buddies worked there and how 'even though she's blind, she sees everything'. Sokka wasn't really listening.

They arrived and Katara pulled him towards the couch. The same couch he almost fainted and the same couch where he was with Zuko. A girl with uneven bangs and a fire red dress came walking towards them. "Hi, how can I help you-" but she stopped mid sentence, apparently noticing something. "You're the guy with the 'breathtaking blue eyes'! Oh, ZuZu's told me about you, y'know. He totally wants your number, even though he would never admit it out loud, can I give it to him?" Her smile was getting wider with every word she spoke, and Katara was a bit confused.

"I mean, sure. Uh, can I write it down somewhere?" He asked and the girl gave him her notepad and pen, indicating he could write it there. He did, and when she took it back she asked her question again. The siblings answered and she speed walked back to the kitchen.

"So, is ZuZu the guy you were talking about yesterday?"

Sokka could _hear_ Katara's grin before he turned to face her. "Maybe, maybe not." He answered with his nose held high. "You'll never know."

* * *

He got a text later that day.

**Unknown: Hi, Zuko here.**

**Unknown: I know this is straight to the point, but would you like to go on a date?**

**Sokka: wfrdfghe4ujhgresd**

**Sokka: yeah <3**

**Zuko: Okay, nice :)**

Sokka got to buy the carnation after all.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm dutch (that's why the bike) also was this an excuse to write about my life? maybe yeah.  
> also a carnation means admiration/deep love (depends on the colour) so i was like seems kool
> 
> give me kudos and comments or that one message you didn't share in middle school will come true >:)


End file.
